


reality

by falloutmars



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2019-11-15
Packaged: 2021-01-31 11:37:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21445600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/falloutmars/pseuds/falloutmars
Summary: Sometimes, memories are better than reality.
Relationships: Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	reality

Jughead glances up from his laptop when the bell in Pop’s rings. A group of girls enter and take the booth Jughead used to sit in a lot a few years ago. Back when he still had friends. Back when she was still in his life. 

At that moment he recognises one of the girls from the group. She has the same blonde ponytail and sweet smile he remembers so fondly. Betty Cooper.

His mind cruelly takes him back to their time together over the years. Time stands still as he remembers.

_ They’re 15 years old. He’s just kissed her for the first time and it was perfect. He invites her for milkshakes at Pop’s. It’s a date, she tells him with a smile. They sit in their unofficial booth and he buys her a vanilla milkshake. He sips his own chocolate milkshake as they chat about nothing in particular. Enjoying each other’s company, neither notice when it gets dark outside. At the end of the date, Jughead kisses her again, tasting the residue of her milkshake before they leave the comfort of their booth.  _

_ They’re 16 years old, sitting side by side in their booth. She’s just thrown him a birthday party but he threw it back in her face. He feels stupid and sad and tries to justify his actions to himself but he knows she doesn’t deserve what he said. He apologises over and over and she tells him that he doesn’t need to, that she shouldn’t have done it. He tells her he’s sorry one more time and kisses her like she’s the one giving him the air he breathes. In a way, she is.  _

_ They’re 17 years old. Both of them are having problems at home, so their booth is their escape. They sit together eating far too much food and sneaking kisses when no one is watching. She tells him about her mom and Polly joining a potential cult and he tells her about his dad pressuring him to join the Serpents. She’s worried that he’s going to leave her for a gang and he promises that he would never do that to her. He talks to her about their future, a future where they leave Riverdale. A future where they can leave everything behind and start over. Together. The way it should be.  _

He snaps back to reality. He’s staring absentmindedly at their booth. Except it’s no longer their booth. She occupies it with her friends, people he’s never seen before, and he’s sat on the other side of the diner, alone. 

He blinks to clear his vision and she’s looking at him. They make eye contact and for a second, her eyes fill with the love and admiration he used to see everyday. But then she’s broken their eye contact and joins back in with the group. It’s like she’s forgotten him again.

He looks back down at his laptop and he’s back to his own harsh reality. In this reality, in this future, they’re no longer together. 

**Author's Note:**

> i'm sorry. i hope you're not too sad. 
> 
> thank you for reading.


End file.
